DM> I had one a week or so ago where a 1gig drive would not format over
DM> 30 megs, no matter what I deleted and changed around in FDISK. In the
DM> end, I zeroed out the first few sectors using a disk editing tool.

DM> I assume that was caused by the LBA switch -

RS> More likely the usual confused state the system can get into when the
RS> geometry stuff in the first physical sector doesnt match what you are
RS> currently using. Its not necessarily LBA, even just a different CHS
RS> set which still have the same total number of sectors can do that.

DM> of course I only get _partial_ information. The rest they don't tell you.

RS> Sounds more like someone fucked around with the drive params.

DM> Some BIOS's have an HDD auto sense, as opposed to
DM> "Auto detect and writing" the parameters into the BIOS.

DM> It was the AUTO sense for the HDD's each time the PC
DM> was powered on, and Win95 was installed with that option
DM> enabled, and Win95 was giving some grief, and someone had
DM> come along and changed that setting to LBA, and then LARGE.

Yeah, thats what I meant, the auto sense really doesnt change anything
much, just varies the detail on how the params are fucked around with.
@EOT:

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